Jarret Johnson (NFL Legend)
As an active player, and since his retirement from the NFL in 2015, Ravens Legend Jarret Johnson has demonstrated a constant commitment to honoring service members, veterans and their families. With the goal to employ veterans, Johnson partnered with a service-disabled Air Force veteran to start a Black Rifle Coffee franchise in Niceville, Florida. The franchise employs veterans, service members, spouses, and children of military members from all around the world. Each month, Johnson uses his coffee shop to host events that bring veterans together and allows them to discuss issues they're facing such as overcoming injuries, transitioning from military life, job opportunities and more. Johnson is an annual sponsor of SOF Missions, a non-profit that provides care to veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with the goal of ending veteran suicide. Every Memorial Day, Johnson organizes, sponsors and participates in various military fundraising workouts. In May 2022, Johnson hosted "The Lu," honoring Master Sgt. Luis Deleon-Figueroa who was killed Aug. 21, 2019, while deployed to Afghanistan. The event raised over $15,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. On Memorial Day 2021, Johnson raised nearly $15,000 for the EOD Warrior Foundation and Pipe Hitter Foundation. The workouts that originally started in Johnson's backyard have grown into large community-wide fundraising activations. Johnson regularly provides leadership development and positive motivation to the Army's 7th Special Forces Group through various speaking engagements, shooting events, fishing trips, veteran family cookouts and frequent participation in grueling physical workouts with Special Forces teams. In 2021 and 2022, he completed the Special Forces Group Savage Loop ultramarathon, a 43-mile run around the Choctawatchee Bay in northwest Florida. Additionally in 2022, Johnson was named an Honorary Battalion Commander for the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group.